Endocarditis as a complication of indwelling right atrial catheters in leukemic patients

Three patients with acute leukemia who had chronic indwelling right atrial catheters developed endocarditis. In all cases, the infection was cured with antibiotics only after removal of the infected catheter. Although infective endocarditis has been rarely noted in leukemic patients, the use of chronic indwelling catheters may lead to an increased incidence of this infection in these patients.